Jane Harman resigned from Congress February 28, 2011 to join the Woodrow Wilson Center as its first female Director, President and CEO.

Representing the aerospace center of California during nine terms in Congress, she served on all the major security committees: six years on Armed Services, eight years on Intelligence, and eight on Homeland Security. During her long public career, Harman has been recognized as a national expert at the nexus of security and public policy issues, and has received numerous awards for distinguished service.

She is a member of the Defense Policy Board, the State Department Foreign Policy Board, and the Homeland Security Advisory Committee. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission and the Advisory Board of the Munich Security Conference.

Harman is a Trustee of the Aspen Institute and the University of Southern California. She is also a member of the Presidential Debates Commission.

A product of Los Angeles public schools, Harman is a magna cum laude graduate of Smith College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Harvard Law School. Prior to serving in Congress, she was Staff Director of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights, Deputy Cabinet Secretary to President Jimmy Carter, Special Counsel to the Department of Defense, and in private law practice.

She has four adult children and four grandchildren.

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"Vladimir Putin doesn't know the Colin Powell rule -- if you break it you own it. And if he breaks up Crimea, he's going to own their pension liabilities, their tanked economy, at a time when the Russian economy is stretched," Harman said. more

Jane Harman was a panelist on "Fox News Sunday" with columnist George Will, Heritage Action for America CEO Michael Needham and Fox News political analyst Juan Williams to discuss Russia and the conflict in Ukraine, as well as the presidential budget. "There is a possibility that Putin's efforts could backfire here. We have to be adroit, we and the rest of the world that really cares about a Ukraine that has a modern, pluralist, technocrat government," Harman said.
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Jane Harman was a guest on "Real Time With Bill Maher" to discuss issues in American politics including the minimum wage, intelligence and surveillance, and terrorism. "We should win the argument with the kid trying to strap on the suicide vest. That's the right way to do it," Harman said. more

Jane Harman appeared on "Morning Joe" with Ian Brzezinski, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Russia's role. "The Ukrainians, at least according to the scholars at the Wilson Center, want to determine their own future. They don't want us or the EU or Russia to tell them what to do. This is not going to be a top-down solution--it's going to be bottom-up," Harman said.
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By partnering with U.S. corporations, USAID and other development agencies can help developing countries innovate new technologies, leapfrog infrastructure investment, and create new markets and sustainable livelihoods. Using technology and innovation to change the lives of millions around the world, these partnerships may also help shape a different view of America as a global power: smart and capable, focused on success and results, not ideology. However, these partnerships can be a challenge to develop and sustain. How can Congress work with the private sector and development agencies to enable these partnerships for success? more

U.S. dependence on imported oil and gas has long been a source of controversy, as an economic, political and security issue. Yet now, with the widespread use of new technology allowing dramatic new sources of energy, things are changing. According to some experts, American energy independence is close, turning the tables on traditional suppliers. Is America about to free itself from dependence on foreign oil – or are there hidden risks in this new wealth? more

Global reaction to Russia's aggressive moves into Ukraine has created a sense of Déjà vu. If you listen to the rhetoric and ignore the calendar, you might think that you've traveled through time to the days of the Cold War. A recent edition of The National Conversation series posed the question, "If it's not a Cold War, what is it?" That's the focus of this edition of REWIND.

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"Even as we work to stabilize the region, we absolutely must keep in mind the end game. For al Qaeda and the rest of the transnational jihadist movement, the brass ring remains a major attack on Western soil," writes Jane Harman.

In recent weeks, Lamberto Zannier has travelled to Kiev on numerous occasions, as well as to Moscow and other European capitals, attempting to defuse the ongoing crisis. During a recent conversation with Wilson Center President Jane Harman, Zannier presented the OSCE’s priorities for restoring stability in Ukraine and discussed the impact of the crisis on European and Euro-Atlantic security. That’s the focus of this edition of REWIND.

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The Chicago Council releases its 40th anniversary survey of Americans thoughts on foreign policy issues. An expert panel discusses the results, what it means for the future of U.S. policy, and what policymakers should learn from the public.

Why did a small number of European statesmen take the world into the seminal catastrophe of the Great War? The German Chancellor Otto Bismarck had warned in 1880 that “some damned foolish thing in the Balkans” might lead to a terrible war. The shots at Sarajevo did just that a hundred years ago. What have we learned?

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The breakdown in the 72-hour Egyptian-brokered ceasefire and the resumption of the conflict between Israel and Hamas threatens to take the Gaza crisis to a new level. What are the prospects for escalation and/or for negotiations to de-escalate the situation? Can the requirements of the parties somehow be reconciled? What is the role of the Palestinian Authority and Egypt going forward? And what is the American role?

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Recent events have threatened Iraq’s stability, highlighted the dangers of the Syrian civil war, and raised serious questions about how the US should respond to the current crisis. Join us by PHONE for this Ground Truth Briefing as we examine ISIS, the policies of the Maliki Government, impact of Syria on Iraq, and US options in response to these challenges.

This year, the Munich Security Conference celebrated its 50th anniversary. These fifty years of substantive dialogue on security cooperation have existed against a changing political backdrop – from the tensions of the Cold War and the brutal conflict in the Western Balkans, to the attacks of September 11, 2001, the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the global “War on Terror.” Mutual security and the transatlantic relationship are once again faced with challenges in the form of the crisis in Ukraine. What does this crisis mean for mutual security, and how will it affect the security architecture in Europe?

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